The 24th National Festival for Heritage and Culture inaugurated by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, at Al-Janadriya Village, 43 kilometers north of Riyadh, Wednesday will be open for three full days exclusively for family visitors from March 16 to 18, said Maj. Abdullah Al-Jawan, Director Media Center, Al-Janadriya Festival. Maj. Al-Jawan said some 80,000 visitors assembled at the entrance of Al-Janadriya Village Thursday, the first day of the two-week long National Festival for Culture and Heritage. “This year, for the first time in its history Al-Janadriya Village will open its doors for family only visitors from March 16 to 18 from 10 A.M. to 5.30 P.M.,” he said. On other days, Al-Janadriya Village, which showcases a variety of cultural activities including a handicraft pavilion will be open to the general public from 3 P.M. to 10 P.M. The morning hours from 9 A.M to 12 noon will be reserved for prearranged school visits and other guests and visitors, he said. He said Al-Janadriya Village will be closed for visitors on March 14 and 15 for maintenance. Some one million people from all walks of life are expected to visit the Al-Janadriya Village this year. The Al-Janadriya Village comes to life annually with craftsmen from a number of Saudi regions demonstrating their traditional skills live to the visitors. Moreover, the Village also houses a number of replicas from various regions in the Kingdom that re-enact cultural activities popular in that region. The replica of Madina City presents to visitors the traditional wedding popular in that region. In all there are around 24 replicas of various cities and regions from across the Kingdom. Musical troupes and folklore dancers representing various regions attract huge crowds of people through the presentation of musical shows and traditional dances. Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Majed Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Madina, directed the regional supervisory committee to participate in this year's Al-Janadriya Festival by organizing a number of activities including art and culture, drama, shows, social presentation and various historical and heritage exhibitions. He instructed the authorities to make Madina's Pavilion at Al-Janadriya Village a distinguished place for visitors. During the two-week long festival all roads lead to the Al-Janadriya Village, as the national festival is aimed at highlighting Saudi Arabia's diverse culture and heritage. The event features artists, food, traditional attire, architecture and wedding customs as well as traditional music and folk dances representing different regions of the Kingdom. The festival attracts some hundreds of thousands of Saudis, GCC citizens and a large number of foreign residents in the Kingdom every year. Many foreigners also visit Al-Janadriya Village to get first-hand experience of Saudi culture and heritage. The regional replicas and handicraft gallery in the Al-Janadriya Village have been the major attraction for these visitors.
